Market Roundup: Markets Down about 3% on Oil Prices and Negative Economic Reports

Economy/Stock Market

The week began with a tumble in oil prices and more signs of economic weakness in China, which resulted in modest losses for most of the trading session. However, stocks pushed higher in the last hour of trading to close the day nearly flat. U.S. and European stock indices fell sharply on Tuesday, and buyers sought safe-haven government bonds after another tumble in oil prices. Additionally, Energy stocks retreated after reporting less-than-optimum earnings details. Wednesday proved to be another day saved by a late session rally. The Dow staged a rebound from early low levels to close higher. The S&P 500 landed in the green while the NASDAQ shed some points. The Institute for Supply Management showed a downtick to 53.5 in January from 55.8 in December, marking the slowest pace for services industry activity since February 2014. Stocks climbed on Thursday despite volatile trading. Labor Department data showed initial jobless claims increased by 8,000 to 285,000 last week, while continuing claims decreased by 18,000 to 2.255 million. Non-farm business productivity slipped 3% in the fourth quarter of 2015, versus a 2.1% uptick in the third quarter. Technology stocks led the way down on Friday as stocks traded lower on a variety of economic news. The economy added fewer jobs than expected in January. Payrolls increased by 151,000 versus an anticipated addition of 190,000, while the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.9%.

Market Roundup: Roller Coaster Week Ends Positive for the Markets

Economy/Stock Market

The markets started the week on a down note as investors looked for clues about whether trouble overseas could begin to depress U.S. growth. Adding to the pressure, investors are worried about the Federal Reserve’s plan for raising interest rates. A drop in crude oil brought energy stocks down. With Tuesday’s jump in oil prices, energy brands rose and brought the market indices along for a green finish. Measuring consumer confidence, the Conference Board data hit 98.1 for January versus a reading of 96.3 in December. Mid-week, U.S. stocks declined as the Federal Reserve kept a March increase in interest rates on the table, unnerving investors after weeks of sharp swings in global markets. The Fed said in its policy statement that it is “closely monitoring” developments in global economies. Reversing course again on Thursday, the markets closed up in the wake of favorable earnings and on word of a proposed five percent production cut from Saudi Arabia. The rally continued Friday with Blue Chip brands leading the way. Also adding to the gains, manufacturing in the Midwestern region stepped up this month. The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index registered a reading of 55.6 in January, up from December’s reading of 42.9 and well beyond an expected score of 45.